Traders commend KMA

Traders who lost their wares in the Kumasi Central Market fire have commended the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly (KMA) for the decision to support them with GH¢200,000 and technical expertise to construct temporary structures at the site.
The traders, some of whom had started reconstruction of their sheds before the KMA announced the package, are of the belief that the money would help them speed up the work.

They, however, appealed to the assembly to expedite action on the release of the money to ensure that the work was done on time to enable them to get back to business.

A number of them who spoke to the Daily Graphic at the market yesterday singled out the KMA Chief Executive, Mr Kojo Bonsu, for praise, saying he had proved that he had their welfare at heart.

Last Monday evening, the KMA, at a news conference, announced the package to support the affected traders in their reconstruction work.

Mr Bonsu, who addressed the news conference, said the KMA had accepted a request by the affected traders of the Kumasi Central Market to rebuild the burnt section themselves.

He indicated that the assembly would support the traders with GH¢200,000 to enable them to complete the work early so that they could get back to business.

Besides, the assembly's engineers and artisans would be put at the disposal of the traders so that the reconstruction would be done with professional touch.

Mr Bonsu who sympathised with the traders on their predicament said the assembly would strictly enforce its bye laws on the markets even as the government worked at reconstructing the age-old market into a modern facility.

In that connection, the MCE said henceforth, the central market would close at 6 p.m. and open at  6 a.m.

He said the reconstruction of the market into a first class facility would prevent fire outbreaks.

The KMA chief executive further announced that the assembly would come out with a report on the fire outbreak, which would be presented to the central government for any possible assistance to the victims.

He cautioned the traders against illegal electrical connections at the market and other activities that could lead to fire outbreaks.

He urged traders to do the right thing by supporting the assembly to bring sanity into the management of the market.

By Kwame Asare Boadu